Fun thread...

My old pdoc often (but not always) used to switch my medications with every little flare-up and kept pushing meds on me. For example, a single hallucination? GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO COMPLETELY CHANGE MEDS. "No, no... It's just one hallucination. I just wanted to keep you up to date." NOPE. WE HAVE TO CHANGE. "But it only happened 3 weeks ago and 10 weeks prior to that, so 2 times in 10 weeks, then never again." STILL HAVE TO CHANGE. "Oh god... Why do I even tell you these things anymore..."

And:

"Hi, I have some anxiety from increasing this med..." GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO ADD SOME KLONOPIN. "No, I just want to lower the dose..." THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS. "Fine. Then I want a med change, I guess." NO. WE CAN'T DO THAT. THIS MED WORKS FOR YOU. "No it doesn't if it's making my anxiety worse. And how come you won't change my meds this time when you do it all the time without my say in the matter? Either lower it or give me something else." NOPE. THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS.

lol.

My new pdoc just monitors my symptoms and says we don't have to change meds because of tiny flare-ups. Nor does he add more meds. He said if I want to change or add meds because I'm too distressed, I can always ask. He just wants me to keep him updated. I think that's super chill.

[Blueberrybook]

My old pdoc was the best. I saw her for 10 years, and she just retired. When I was looking for new pdocs on the internet, I realized she had straight 5 star reviews, so I got really lucky with her. She really listened to me and gave out a cell phone number to call for after-hours emergencies. She tinkered with my meds if necessary, but not every visit. She was also the pdoc to realize I was bipolar and not suffering from major depressive disorder. My new pdoc is highly rated, but he is very efficient, meaning he keeps to appointment times very closely (unless of emergency) instead of having to wait much past your appt. time, so he doesn't talk much during appointments unless you have issues. Still, he has a cell phone to call for after hours emergencies and has answered and called me back or called back if I left a message needing to talk to him during business hours with the receptionist. He switches meds if needed but hasn't tinkered with them every visit. He does listen and if he hears something to the extent that I am getting depressed or anxious or manic, he does change the meds some. He got me on new meds for sleep, which helped me quite a bit and cares what the meds do to me physically, ordering a blood test since it was a year when I had most of it checked (cholesterol, B vitamins, thyroid, etc.) to see both how I was doing and if the psych meds were affecting me physically.

I saw a really terrible pdoc before I saw my current one. She would not prescribe me any meds until I went around and got current med sheets from my pharmacy, my mail order pharmacy, and the hospital (I had recently been hospitalized for a perforated ulcer, nothing to do with psych issues). At the time, I had only been home less than 2 weeks from the hospital and was still in a great deal of pain (that operation is very painful, much worse than childbirth). I didn't understand this as my old pdoc (and the one I have now) could view the prescriptions from my pharmacy and mail order pharmacy on their office computers and didn't have me running around when I was healing from major surgery. Then, I asked if this doctor had a number I could call after hours or on vacations or weekends if I had an emergency. She did not seem to understand how a person could have an urgent matter that was not a 911 emergency. She said she just has voicemail. I asked, do you listen to your voicemail daily (such as after hours, weekends, vacation, etc.), and she looked at me as if I were crazy and said of course not, she only listened to her voicemails when she came back to work in her office. Needless to say, I never saw her again.

[Unrigged64072835]

My previous pdoc was good, but she wouldn't change much even though I had serious issues. I had to go IP for all but a couple of my med changes. Still, it was better than all the psychiatry residents I went to on base, because she actually recognized I was bipolar.

My first pnurse tried to keep me on benzos for my anxiety, even though they didn't help. He helped me get my SSDI approved, so I thank him for that.

My current pnurse is a wild card. She's got her own issues so I don't what to expect. She forgets things sometimes like sending my prescriptions to the base pharmacy.

I think the way to tell is how they treat you--do they listen? Do they make decisions right away, or give some thought to it first? How is their demeanor?

[HALLIEBETH87]

Mine I think is mostly good. He listens when I speak up and advocate for myself. He makes a lot of changes though. But he did take my anxiety serious last time when I told him I was miserable. And he listened when I said I hated haldol. That's when he gave me vraylar samples and got it approved for my insurance. So I think he's a keeper.

[Victoria'smom]

My last one was good. He put me on disinigrating tablets. kept me at very low doses . He wasn't the best listener but wasn't scared of crisis. I've had some very very bad psychiatrists. Up until 3 years ago I did not have an AP.

One of the psychiatrists use to ask every visit whether I needed to be hospitalized. The answer probably yes. She eventually wanted me tested for a learning disability, that I had a personality disorder and meds wouldn't help. Unfortunately she was my only option. She knew my husband was controlling and pushed him to be more controlling "for my safety". This is the same Pdoc that dx.'d my husband with depression and anger issues. When he was in an angry mania. She said I couldn't be BP because I can think about consequences.

[Asteya]

You will know.

[Fuzzybear]

A good one will listen ... obvious but necessary.

[Pookyl]

I have an excellent psychiatrist that I was referred to by one of the best GP’s I’ve ever dealt with.
I don’t know how I know my pdoc is excellent other than after working in healthcare for 25yrs I’ve developed a pretty good gut feel.

[annielovesbacon]

I didn't like my old pdoc. He didn't listen to me -- when I told him something wasn't working, he insisted I keep taking it. He kept me on Cymbalta for NINE MONTHS and I told him two months in it wasn't working. I finally decided to take myself off Cymbalta, and having read about the terrible withdrawals I paced myself slowly over two months... it was still hell.

My current pdoc is a really nice guy. He listens and is willing to do pretty much whatever I ask, if it's reasonable.

Good doc consistently shows up to his appoinments on time with his brain and his listening ears and uses both of them. He uses his brain with knowledge of your condition(s), medications, and communication skills and is open to your experiences as much as his own
Bad pdoc doesn't. Bad pdoc is attached to one med and flips out when it doesn't work and you end up getting switched in the hospital. Bad pdoc moves his moouth a lot with no words coming out. Bad pdoc says "angry then sad? must be bipolar!" Bad pdoc says "deal with it" every time you have a concerning side effect. Bad pdoc doesn't know anything about bipolar disorder or whatever the diagnosis is and the meds used to treat them.

[Zigy]

I don't know. Mine is supposed to be good. However, after 10+ years and many drug changes I'm still struggling so I'm not sure.

[pirilin]

I have a great Pdoc. I described previously her physical attributes and got canned by a mod.

It doesn't bother me that Rob Lowe is better looking than I am.